I'm off to Norway next week for a NATO conference. Yeh, your tax dollars at work. :-)
Long flight. What to do for tunes? 
I've wanted an iPod-like creature for a long time but I'm a PC/Windows Media Player guy vice iMac/iTunes. Also wanted something small for the gym but plenty of storage to support my podcast habit.
And I don't have enough hair for an iPod Shuffle.
So I picked the Sanza up yesterday. Already very happy with it. A bit bigger than a Shuffle but the tradeoff is a compact but easily viewable screen that gives the option to play stuff randomly or to select it directly. It comes with a 6" long USB chord that provides power and a link to your PC, and a pair of earphones. The FM radio actually works, and so does the built-in microphone for recording your own wav files.
There's Rhapsody software enclosed but skip it. When you connect the Clip to a Windows machine it pops up like a drive and syncs right to WMP. Took less than 5 minutes from the time I opened the box to transfer all my files, with 6 gigs left over. Sweet! Should also function well as a flash drive for data files.
Wanted some noise reduction for the plane, so on the recommendation of a reviewer at Amazon I sprung for a pair of SkullCandy earbuds. He was right - cuts the background noise a lot (don't use these while driving) and I'm hearing things in the music I hadn't before. The packaged earphones are fine, but try these. You'll like 'em.
Price: Been watching Sanza Clip's storage capacity rise and prices fall for a while and now's a good time to buy. Got the 8gb Clip at Wally World on sale for $44 and the SkullCandy buds at F.Y.E. on sale for $14.95. Amazon has good deals too, but I saved shipping.
Bottom line: A huge bang for your buck.
Pros: Seemlessly links to PC/WMP. Cheap - half the cost of an iPod. Terrific sound, especially with upgraded earbuds. Eco-friendly - built-in battery recharges off USB chord or any mini-USB cell phone plug charger. Tiny size. Quality feel.
Cons: No micro SD slot. Not sure how it works with iTunes, since I don't use this. Permanently-installed clip may bother some.
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